Hold Me Close
by eyeslikewildflowers
Summary: just some feel-good cuddling


Are you having a shitty day? Is this season killing you? Do you want something short, to the point, G rated and feel-good? Then this is the fic for you!

Tbh this idea came to me one day and I wrote it in like twenty minutes. I've never written something non-smutty (and it feels weird) but I hope you enjoy this short little floofy story.

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Carol sighed and shifted in a fit of restlessness, turning away from the fire so it's light flickered over her back. Daryl had his eyes trained on the dark shadows of the surrounding forest, but he was sure to keep her in his peripherals. She had been gone so long he was almost afraid that if he let her out of his sight again she would disappear entirely. His chest twisted in a way that was unfamiliar to him as he watched her toss and turn, and he wished there was something he could do, anything, to help her get a decent night's rest. After showing up with Tyreese and Judith but refusing to talk about why the two girls were conspicuously missing, he noticed she barely slept and would instead toss and turn most nights. She carried herself differently too, he had noticed; shoulders always tense, eyes always downcast, lips always pressed in a tight line. Her step was heavier when she walked, and Daryl felt totally useless to help her.

A rustle in the trees startled him out of his thoughts. His ears pricked and his body tensed, ready to alert everyone if he had to. He deflated and sat back against the tree, resting his chin on his crossbow again when a field mouse scampered out from the trees and skittered through the makeshift campsite. Daryl's mind wandered again until it settled on the memory from a few days earlier of when Carol had told him he needed to let himself feel the effects of what happened at the hospital. Then she had kissed him on the forehead, a gesture that made him feel like a small child, but had also stirred uncertain feelings he had done his best to repress when she had left him alone. He found himself wishing she would do it again before he was pulled from his own head by Glenn sitting up and scratching his head with a yawn.

"I'll relieve you," Glenn said in a hushed tone as he made his way to the tree where Daryl sat.

"Nah, don' mind a little longer," Daryl said. He was tired, but keeping watch gave him purpose, made him feel at least a little bit in control.

Glenn sighed and stretched his arms and back as he said, "I'm not getting any sleep anyways. You might as well try to."

Daryl nodded reluctantly and stood up to trade places. They had found a few horse blankets and miscellaneous tools in an abandoned barn nearby, and using the horse blankets as mattresses to separate themselves from the cold, rocky ground was an unbelievable luxury. Daryl snorted at the ridiculousness of it as he rolled his blanket out on the ground beside Carol. She shifted enough that he knew she had heard him, but didn't otherwise acknowledge him as he settled down next to her.

He knew what it looked like, knew Glenn was watching him from the corner of his eye, knew everyone noticed how close he slept to her in the morning, but his need to keep an eye on her superseded that. If she stirred or got up, he would know. It would be warmer if he slept closer to the fire but he needed to be near her to make sure she didn't take off, at least that's what he told himself.

Carol was curled on her side facing him, her forehead furrowed and lips pressed even in her half-asleep state. Daryl wished she would talk to him, but knew her well enough to know not to push it. She sighed again and rolled back over to face the fire, and as she did Daryl noticed a shiver ripple over her shoulder and back. Without even thinking, he took the overcoat he used as a blanket and covered her with it instead. The movement roused her. Carol stiffened, and as Daryl settled the blanket around her shoulders he froze when her small, slender hand reached around herself to close over his.

Daryl was motionless, unsure what to do as her hand rooted his in place, when Carol said, "You'll be cold," in a tiny, quiet voice.

Daryl shrugged, his hand on fire under hers. "Don't bother me," he mumbled.

Carol closed her fingers around his and she gently pulled his arm until the rest of his body caught up with what was happening and he let her guide his arm to settle around her waist.

Daryl's mouth had gone dry. It didn't matter that he had never actually bothered to spend the night with a girl before; if all she needed was for him to curl around her while she chased a few hours of sleep, he would do it for her without hesitation. Plus, it really was colder without a blanket and it was nice to soak up her body heat.

Daryl, emboldened slightly by the way she took a deep, relaxed breath, tightened his grip around her waist to pull her closer and rested his head against the back of hers. He breathed in her familiar, sweet scent and marvelled that she was even there at all, that she was alive, that she had found them again. Found him.

Slowly, their breaths evened out to match each other's pace. Just before her deep breaths turned into light snores, she reached for his hand that was resting against her stomach and she brought it up to rest with hers under her chin, intertwining their fingers as she did.

Daryl let his eyes droop as he watched the firelight through her curls, finally feeling like _something_ was maybe going right for a change. Carol was there with them, with _him_ , and at least for the night she couldn't disappear again. The cold night air pricked at the back of his neck and he nestled closer to her.

They were both peacefully asleep within minutes.

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 **please let me know what you think!**


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